What is Wes Montgomery known for?
What is Wes Montgomery known for?
John Leslie “Wes” Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a distinctive sound.
What bands did Wes Montgomery play in?
Montgomery Brothers
Wes Montgomery/Music groups
Why did Wes Montgomery play with his thumb?
Wes was entirely self-taught and early on decided to sacrifice speed for tone by using the right-hand thumb instead of a plectrum. The fat, warm sound he was able to produce with the thumb created a very vocal, soulful ‘voice’ that’s very difficult to obtain with a pick.
Who were Wes Montgomery’s parents?
In 1950 Wes and Serene Montgomery, his mother Frances and her husband Lavester, and Wes’ sister Lavena and his brother Buddy were all living at 1217 Cornell Street (at the black arrow). In February 1943 Wes married Serene Miles, who was born in Canton Mississippi in about 1924.
How did Wes Montgomery get so good?
Wes learned by jamming with his brothers and by emulating Charlie Christian, who inspired Wes to pursue jazz guitar professionally. While Wes was not the only guitarist to utilize the octave approach, he did so with incomparable “freedom and fluidity,” and the technique “became one of his trademarks.”
Did Wes Montgomery ever use a pick?
He died suddenly — a heart attack — when he was just 45. At the time, Montgomery was at the height of his fame, having had a string of popular albums. And the thing that really made his sound so unique was that he didn’t use guitar picks, using his thumb instead, which gave an intimacy and warmth to his playing.
Did Wes Montgomery write a day in the life?
A Day in the Life is an album by the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1967….Track listing.
| No. | 1. |
|---|---|
| Title | “A Day in the Life” |
| Writer(s) | John Lennon, Paul McCartney |
| Length | 5:45 |
Why is Wes Montgomery so good?
The most influential, widely admired jazz guitarist since Charlie Christian’s heyday, Wes re-invented the instrument with his thumb-plucking technique, his innovative approach to playing octaves, and his inventive, masterful execution of complex lines.
Did Wes Montgomery smoke?
He also was a different sort of jazz musician in that he didn’t drink, he didn’t do drugs. In fact, some of his band mates apparently at one point called him Reverend Montgomery. But he smoked heavily, and he died of a heart attack at the age of 45.
When did Wes Montgomery A day in the life come out?
1967
A Day in the Life/Release date
A Day in the Life is an album by jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery that was released in 1967. It reached number one on the Billboard Jazz album chart and number 2 on the R&B chart.
Who wrote A Day in the Life Wes Montgomery?
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
A Day in the Life/Composers
What made Wes Montgomery so good?
What was the last name of Wes Montgomery?
Wes Montgomery, byname of John Leslie Montgomery, (born March 6, 1923, Indianapolis, Ind., U.S.—died June 15, 1968, Indianapolis), black American jazz guitarist, probably the most influential postwar improviser on his instrument.
When did Wes Montgomery join the Montgomery Brothers?
Montgomery joined them for a recording session in 1957 that included Freddie Hubbard. Some of the songs were released by Pacific Jazz on the album The Montgomery Brothers and Five Others, while others showed up on Fingerpickin’ (Pacific Jazz, 1958).
When did Wes Montgomery make his first album?
He recorded with his brothers vibraphonist Buddy and electric bassist Monk during 1957-1959 and made his first Riverside album (1959) in a trio with organist Melvin Rhyne. In 1960 the release of his album The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery made him famous in the jazz world.
Who are the band members of Wes Montgomery?
Montgomery returned to Indianapolis to work in his trio with Rhyne. Keepnews sent him back to California to record a live album with Johnny Griffin, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Their performance became the album Full House. This was followed by Fusion!, his first album with a string section.